USSF Seeking Compromise

The USSF convened a meeting today between representatives of the NASL and USL to try and forge a compromise in the battle for second division sanctioning.

As we reported yesterday, the subject of St Louis and the USL-1 license Tony Glavin owns for the region is not on the table, though USL officials are not pleased by this.

What was discussed today was a USSF proposed compromise to play under the Federation banner in 2010. It is possible that a final compromise could be released as early as Thursday before the NASL’s first AGM begin in Fort Lauderdale. It is believed any compromise will be made with an implication that NASL will be formally sanctioned for the 2011 season.

The NASL, I am told is open to compromise within reason. USL, while also seeking compromise appears less willing to bend.

Compromise is never easy and never entirely satisfies all parties involved, but it appears a deal is close to being concluded involving two conferences, one which will be comprised of USL contracted teams and others of teams that have committed to the NASL for the future and are not contracted in any way to USL for 2010 or beyond. Credit to the USSF, despite their lack of leadership earlier in the process for pushing the envelope now. A deal could be reached later today. Stay tuned for details.

UPDATE 9:30 AM THURSDAY

A conference call has been set for 3pm ET on Thursday to announce the compromise by the Federation. I am also told by sources that certain rules, such as more stringent foreign player limits and encouragement of intake of more youth players will be implemented by the USSF this year for both USL-1 and NASL teams.

Personally, I wish MLS would do both as well- limit the intake of foreign players to those who only play for their national team or have significant prior national team experience (require a work permit rule like the UK home office does, but make it less difficult to qualify. I have long advocated this rule change for MLS, but instead MLS has gone in the opposite direction adding more and more marginal foreign players and forcing Americans down to the second division level) and require a certain number of youth players per squad be registered. Give the USSF credit for pushing rules that at least for one year, will help the development of the American player.

Related

Post navigation

30 thoughts on “USSF Seeking Compromise”

So what are we looking at, the “USSF League” in 2010? It just seems silly to me to basically push this issue aside for another year. I’m certainly glad some kind of solution is being worked out in light of the non-sanctioning of NASL/USL, but this compromise doesn’t make a whole lot of sense from either the NASL or USL point of view. Now both the NASL and USL teams/leagues will have a tough time getting sponsors etc. playing in this state of limbo.

To me it looks like they’re just sweeping it all under the rug until the MLS labor issues are settled.

QF :Disgusting that the USSF would run a league to protect the money whoring MLS Owners.

You have to be kidding me! Do you have any idea how much money the MLS owners have lost over the years of MLS and prior. Lamar Hunt is a great example of this. When he died he was still losing money so he could provide soccer a place in America! These people have put there money where there mouth is. Fans of minor league soccer should do the same! Soccer will not be big in this country until that happens!

Ditto to Scott;s comment. I’m not saying you have to be a fan of NuRock and the USL, but if y’all took off your tin-foil hats, you may be able to be a little more objective.

2 leagues were not sanctioned for obvious reasons:

-USL, because too many teams refused to play in it to make it viable.
-NASL was determined (and I believe rightly so) that they couldn’t get their league up in time, regardless of lawsuits against three of their teams.

All the MLS/USSF/lockout paranoia neeeds to be checked until the smoke clears this week, at least.

Yes, because any time you have a chance to put second division soccer in the hands of people who haven’t proven they can run a franchise, backed by the money of people who couldn’t sell Tiger Woods a time machine, you have to do it.

QF :
Disgusting that the USSF would run a league to protect the money whoring MLS Owners.

Wow, read Andrea Canales much?

You know what the NASL is/was a threat to? The NASL. Not MLS.

The conspiracy theorists who seem to think a league that will likely have two of its teams joining MLS within three years, leaving Miami FC and the Carolina Railhawks, would be a threat to MLS that had to be stamped out, is smoking crack.

Logic dictates you create conferences for regional travel/rivalry issues. So, is the whole two-conference thing like a dance off, to see who does a better job running theirs? Why bother segregating them, otherwise?

Thursday 9:16am. Has the deadline passed? No news yet? I bet they’ve stopped the clock over at the negotiations and are conferring with all the parties involved.
Making arrangements for press conferences, statements, et.al.

Thursday 9:16am. Has the deadline passed? No news yet? I bet they’ve stopped the clock over at the negotiations and are conferring with all the parties involved.
Making arrangements for press conferences, statements, et.al.

I hope everything gets resolved today. Miami needs to start putting a team together so we can spank Tampa. Our front office has been completely occupied with this debacle and I’m not losing to a bunch of Fannies.